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B. L. HARRIS.

CONDUCTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 348,008. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT L. HARRIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

CONDUCTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,008, dated August24-, 1886.

Application filed March R, 1886.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RoEEnT L. HARRIS, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Conductorsfor Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Metallic conductors have been made use of for conveying the electricityfrom a stationary generator to an electric motor upon the railway car orvehicle, and these metallic c011- ductors have been insulated from thesupports that hold the same; but in practice the water running over theconductor or dripping from the same weakens the electric current byleakage through the moisture.

The object of my present invention is to protect the metallic conductorfrom the direct contact of rainwater or moisture, and to accomplish thesame in such a manner that the conductors require no other covering thanthat which is applied directly to the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a conductor with the coveringapplied on the same; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections of different U formsof conductors with my improvements thereon, and Fig. l represents ahanging eonductor.

The conductor is to be made of suitable metal1i referably of copperandit is pro vided with one or more naked or unprotected surfaces, 1 1,against which presses a contactspring, wheel, or other device, that isconnected to the carriage to be driven by the electric current passingthrough the same to a magneto or other engine upon the car.

In order to protect the contact'surfaces 1 of the conductor, I make useof an insulatingroof, 2, the same extending along over the conductor,and being either convex or inclined in its sectional form, and thisinsulating-roof is made of ebonite, vulcanized fiber, or other suitableinsulating material, and the edges of this roof project to form eaves 3,from which any water pouring or falling upon the roof will drip, and notrun down the exposed surfaces of the conductor, thereby keeping theconductor dry at the place where the contactspring touches the same. Thebase of this conductor is of sufficient width to firmly support thesame, and this base is covered with insulating material-such asvulcanite or vul- Serial No. 191,353. (No molel.)

canized fibcrand if the conductor is sup-- ported this insulatingmaterial is applied on the under side of the base, as at 4, and alsoupon the upper surfaces thereof, as at 5, in such a manner that waterdripping from the eaves 3 will not fall upon the metallic con ductoritself, thereby effectually preventing leakage of the electrical currentthrough the water or moisture,because such moisture does not reach thenaked surface of the conductor. It is to be understood that thisinsulating material is confined directly to the surfaces of theconductor. so that moisture will not soak in between the conductor andsuch insulating material. This insulated conductor may be connected tothe cross-ties of the railway, or it may be placed in a trunk or conduit below the track, or it may be suspended by insulated hangers, asseen in Fig. l.

I am aware that a metallic rail upon which the car runs, and which formsthe conductor, has been coated upon its sides and bottom with insulatingmaterial; but this is subject to moisture coming in contact with itsexposed surface. In other cases a wooden sup port has been provided, tothe under side of which a strip of copper is attached. This device isnccessarily large, cumbersome, and not adapted to a sidewise'actingcontact-maker.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric conductor for railway-motors,composed of a metallic bar having a head with its upper surface coatedwith insulating material, a depending web below the head of the bar, thesurface of which is exposed for the contact-maker of the travelingmotor, substantially as specified.

2. The electric conductor for railway-motors, composed of a metallic barhaving its upper surface coated with insulating material and forming aroof to the same. and its lower edge also coated with an insulatingmaterial, the metal between these insulations being exposed for thecontact-maker of the traveling motor, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 26th day of February, A. D. 1886.

ROBERT L. HARRIS.

Vitncsses:

GEo. T. PINOKNEY, YVALLACE L. SEREELL.

